North Braddock Mayoral Nominee Cletus Lee Charged With Assault
NORTH BRADDOCK, Pa. (KDKA) -- Cletus Lee, the Democratic candidate for mayor in North Braddock, was arrested and charged over a fight.
Lee came out of the police department on Tuesday night after being detained for hours after the alleged incident. He was released on a no-contact order.
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Lee is facing two charges each of aggravated assault, simple assault, and harassment.
Family and a political supporter of Lee said this isn't the character of the man they know. They stood outside the police department for hours to speak on his behalf.
"He has some opposition," said Lisa Franklin-Robinson of the North Braddock Council. "He would be the first Black mayor-elect of North Braddock, and there have been rumors that they really don't want him to take office. He would make a lot of changes, particularly with the police department. So I really hope things are being handled in a manner of integrity."
"He ran a good campaign because everybody loves him," said Lee Davis, the candidate's cousin. "He grew up here, he's from here. I just know him to be a good person and always looking out for the community."
According to investigators, police were called several times over a disturbance near Lee's home on the 1100 block of Rebecca Avenue on Tuesday.
When officers arrived, they had to separate several women arguing with a man on the sidewalk. The man was Lee and one of the women was his ex-girlfriend Candace Bradley.
Apparently, Bradley admitted to police that she went to Lee's house after spotting another woman there. Bradley claims she and the other woman started arguing and that Lee stepped in and eventually became physical, throwing several punches at her.
Bradley said she tried to pepper spray Lee, who then allegedly threw her phone across the street. She said she elbowed his car's mirror, which is when Bradley allegedly said, "I got something for both of y'all."
He then walked into his home and came back swinging a metal baseball bat, beating both Bradley and another individual whose name is protected in the court documents. Both victims were transported to the hospital with injuries.
KDKA knocked on Lee's door on Wednesday but no one answered.
Lee is expected in the courtroom for his preliminary hearing on July 27.
